Surplus ammo

[woodyjustin42]

Well I just bought a .303 british enfield, manufactured here in the u.s. at Savage. Anyhow I was looking into shooting surplus ammo out of it. I was looking to see if anyone could instruct me on the proper procedures for cleaning the rifle after shooting corrosive ammo.

 

[coloradokevin]

Opinions vary widely on this, but an old timer gave me this piece of advice when I picked up my 8mm Mauser (it has only eaten about 600-800 rounds of corrosive ammo since then, with no ill-effects):

Easy route:

Buy a bottle of black powder cleaner... This stuff looks like skim milk, and appears water-based rather than oil based (I'm guessing it is modified soapy water). Run a patch through your gun when you finish shooting, along with a light coat of oil.

When you get home, strip the gun, and use more of the blackpowder cleaner. Dry the weapon/parts, and then clean like you would a normal firearm (patches, solvent, bore brush, patches, patches, patches, maybe a light coat of oil, more patches).

I've been doing that for years, and my Mauser still shines like it did when it was new... And all I use is corrosive ammo at this time!

 

[HoosierQ]

One word - Windex!

The reason that the stuff is corrosive is because it is a water soluable salt. Windex is a water and ammonia based soap. Get some sort of "accurate" spray bottle and blast a lot of windex down the barrel and then brush, or mop, or patch. Then run some dry patches down and apply an oil or something.

Use the windex only down the bore.

 

[Hoppy590]

hot watter to wash out any corrosive salt. get the barrel and bolt face, and any where gas went.

ammonia works good for helping to remove cooper.

when shooting my mosins, i use a home done mix of ammonia and water right at the range ( like, 2X stronger than windex) then hot water and a standard cleaning when i get home

 

[Mike 56]

Here is a link on how to clean after shooting corrosive ammo http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu13.htm Some people say shooting corrosive ammo will ruin your firearms if you clean up properly after shooting it you wont have any problems. I have battle rifles as old as 70 years old that have bright shiny bores that are tack drivers. As for surplus 303 ammo i haven't had much luck most of it was not very good.

Mike

 

[JHansenAK47]

One word - Windex Windex is a water and ammonia based soap.

Ammonia + Chrome = chemical reaction
Do not put ammonia down a CHROMELINED barrel or on CHROMED parts and let it sit. Your savage will be fine and I personally use windex on my Enfields.

 

[strat81]

Do not put ammonia down a chromelined barrel or on chromed parts and let it sit.

I've never heard that before. Most copper solvents reek of ammonia and I've never seen a chrome warning on them.

Anyone else care to weigh in on this?

 

[Funderb]

ignore all others:

Clean surplus ammo this way:
Hot water, put a kettle on, use a funnel and pour
hot water through the bore for 3 seconds, brush and swab like you would with solvent.

Then get out the solvent and clean it normally.

Windex, ammonia whatever, the only thing that really works when you use those is water. Water dissolves the salt that causes corrosion.

 

[Hoppy590]

all hail Funderb

knower of all
decider of all

 

[Funderb]

darn right.

I'm rather strong on that issue.
I was once told to use ammonia,
and it definitely did NOT work.

 

[TexasRifleman]

all hail Funderb

He's right. Windex sucks.

 

[NickEllis]

all hail

all hail

all hail

 

[rust collector]

And of course, the answer you never requested

Surplus 303 is rare, but it's also tough on guns. Corrosive primers are addressed above (I'm a hot water fan, myself) but cordite is also highly erosive. That means there is plenty of oxidizing propellant running down the barrel behind the bullet, and that tends to degrade the barrel toward the muzzle.

Pakistani ordnance factory (POF) ammunition has been reported to be very inconsistent and prone to hangfire or nofire, so steering clear of that is suggested.

I use commercial Federal ammunition in my #4 mark 1, don't worry about cleanup, and get reloadable brass. It isn't a hot load, but has an expanding bullet and doesn't eat up the bore. I have a bunch of Radway Green Mk VII that a friend gave me, and I'll probably give it to someone whose bore is already toast.

 

[Owen]

copper solvents are fine with chrome.

copper solvents are NOT fine with nickel plate. nickel doesn't like to stick to steel, so the gun is first copper plated, and then nickel plated over the copper. If there is a nick in the nickel, copper is exposed. one the exposed copper has been attacked by the solvent, the nickel will start flaking off.

now ammonia will attack chrome if it gets hit, so if you do use an ammonia based cleaner on a chromed or stainless barrel, you need clean with a petroleum based cleaner after the ammonia based cleaner to remove the ammonia.

 

[woodyjustin42]

Well thanks for all the feedback guys, I definitely feel learned!! I know improper grammer. It was all appreciated. Im taking her out to shoot tommorow morning hopefully the little bit of scratching in the beginning of my bore doesnt throw her off to much. On a different subject im off to go get some winchester .303 so I can shoot tommorow, does 28.00 a box of 20 sound right?

 

[Owen]

if you poke around, you should be able to find some older PMC .303 for about $16-$17/20. i found some about 6 months ago, and bought about 300 rounds. I do keep seeing it in the dark and dusty corners of gun stores i visit

 

[woodyjustin42]

Czech ammo

Well I found some Czech ammo for sale online at j&g sales it is 150 grain sp and says it is non-corrosive. The box says lellier and bellot anybody ever heard of it? Also are j&g sales ok or do they suck? it is 18 for a boxx of 20 which is about 10 bucks cheaper per box then retail.

 

[woodyjustin42]

Correction it is sellier and bellot and I found for 3 bux cheaper on cheaper than dirt.com anybody ever use them?

 

[Funderb]

cheaper than dirt screws you on ammo shipping, or it did last time I thought of buying ammo from there.
everything else is good though.

 

[K3]

All you NEED is water. Water dissolves salts. Hotter is better.

I pour a pan of boiling H2O down the barrel and clean as normal with Breakfree or maybe my Boretech Eliminator, though I don't like to waste sucha nice cleaner on $80 rifles.

Haven't had an issue yet.

 

[rust collector]

I checked AIM and all they have is POF. Sellier and Bellot is not bad, and other possibilities are Igman/Hot Shot and possibly Wolf. Beware of shipping charges online.